Air Liquide (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) and Sasol Ltd. (Johannesburg, South Africa; www.sasol.co.za) have signed a longterm agreement for the supply of large quantities of industrial gases to Sasol’s Secunda site (around 140 km East of Johannesburg, South Africa). Air Liquide will invest around €200 million for the construction of what is said to be the largest air-separation unit (ASU) ever built, with total capacity of 5,000 metric tons per day (m.t./d) of oxygen, a milestone in the history of industrial-gas production.
This contract represents an important step forward in this partnership as it is the first time that Sasol will outsource its oxygen needs to a specialist of industrial gas production at its Secunda site. The oxygen provided by Air Liquide will be used by Sasol for the production of synthetic fuels.
Air Liquide will design, build, own and operate this new ASU, which is expected to be commissioned by December 2017. The new ASU will also add a new source of oxygen and argon for Air Liquide to supply the growing industrial gas market in South Africa.